The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and, more particularly, to an image processing apparatus, which can deal with a plurality of different image display modes which are different in aspect ratio, pixel number, etc.
With the recent advancement of the digitalization of electronic still cameras, there are increasing demands for reproducing and processing photographically picked-up image data with a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as PC). Because of the versatility of PCs and like apparatuses, with respect to data, there have been proposed systems in which an IC memory card, for use with a PC or the like, is used as a recording medium for an electronic still camera. The IC memory card records data in PC file format. As to the image format for an electronic still camera, what conforms to the NTSC standard data format (effective pixel number: 768 p 480) is usually thought to be useful. On the other hand, the pixel number of PCs is usually 640 p 400, 512 p 512, 640 p 480, and so forth.
An electronic still camera conforms in data format to various television signal standards such as the NTSC, PAL, etc. standards. Therefore, when a PC or the like with a smaller pixel number than the standard is used to reproduce image data that is picked-up with an electronic still camera, the overall screen of image data can not be displayed.
In addition, the aspect ratio of a PC display is usually horizontally about 1.2 times that of a electronic still camera CCD image pick-up component. Therefore, image data picked-up with an electronic still camera, when displayed on a PC, results in slightly vertically squeezed images. It is possible to compensate the image data with software or the like on the PC. However, the compensation requires arithmetic operations which undesirably delay reproduction, of the image.
The electronic imaging apparatus as described above, which is for practical use, has the function of transmitting image information to another electronic imaging apparatus via some medium, for instance a telephone line. For image data transmission via a telephone line, it is necessary to dial the telephone number of the destination. Apparatuses for dispensing with the telephone number dialing by the user whenever data transmission is to be made, are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication H2-25143 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication H3-157083. In this disclosed apparatus, the telephone number of the partner side, i.e., the destination, is recorded on a magnetic disk, on which image information is recorded.
However, where an image to be transmitted is recorded on disk A while the destination telephone number is recorded on disk B, it is necessary to delete the telephone number originally stored on disk A and copy the destination telephone number originally stored on disk B onto disk A as a superseder. This poses problems in operation control properties.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication H3-157083 shows the use of a keyboard as the telephone number input means. However, this is not realistic particularly when the electronic imaging apparatus is a memory card camera or like small camera, because with such a camera only a restricted number of switches can be mounted.